Desmidiaceae

Desmids are single-celled (sometimes filamentous or colonial) algae, which are generally constricted in the middle, having two identical halves called semicells. The cell wall also consists of two halves. In apical view, the cells may be compressed (biradiate), three- or multi-angular (tri- or multiradiate), or circular (omniradiate). The cell wall is marked by having pores which penetrate all cell wall layers and contain a mucilaginous plug (called the pore fields). In addition to having pores, the cell wall may be covered in spines, pits ("scrobicles" or "scrobiculae"), lobes, or granules. Chloroplasts are axial or parietal.

Within the family Desmidiaceae, genera are delimited based on morphological characters such as the symmetry of the cells; whether the cells are solitary, filamentous, or colonial; the presence or absence of long processes or extensions; and the shape of the chloroplasts. However, most of these characters are highly homoplasious; therefore, many or even most genera are artificial and para- or polyphyletic.{{cite journal |last1=Gontcharov|first1=A.A.|last2=Melkonian |first2=M.| year = 2008 | title = In search of monophyletic taxa in the family Desmidiaceae (Zygnematophyceae, Viridiplantae): The genus Cosmarium | journal = American Journal of Botany | volume = 95 | issue = 9 | pages = 1079–1095 | doi = 10.3732/ajb.0800046 | pmid = 21632428| doi-access = free }}

Genera accepted by AlgaeBase {{As of|lc=yes|2025|April}} were:{{AlgaeBase taxon|name=Desmidiaceae|id=4979|access-date=2025-04-26}}

• Actinodontum {{small|Alfinito & Coesel}} – 3 species
• Actinotaenium {{small|(Nägeli) Teiling}} – 66 species
• Allorgeia {{small|Gauthier-Lièvre ex Guiry & Coesel}} – 2 species
• Amscottia {{small|Grönblad}} – 2 species
• Bambusina {{small|Kützing ex Kützing}} – 8 species
• Bourellyodesmus {{small|Compère}} – 10 species
• Brachytheca {{small|Gontcharov & Watanabe}} – 2 species
• †Closterimopsis {{small|L.M.Yin & Zai P.Li}} – 1 species
• Cosmarium {{small|Corda ex Ralfs}} – 1206 species
• Cosmocladium {{small|Brébisson}} – 8 species
• Croasdalea {{small|C.E.M.Bicudo & Mercante}} – 1 species
• Cruciangulum {{small|D.B.Williamson}} – 1 species
• Desmidium {{small|C.Agardh ex Ralfs}} – 25 species
• †Desmidopsis {{small|L.M.Yin & Zai P.Li}} – 1 species
• Docidium {{small|Brébisson ex Ralfs}} – 22 species
• Euastridium {{small|West & G.S.West}} – 3 species
• Euastrum {{small|Ehrenberg ex Ralfs}} – 358 species
• Groenbladia {{small|Teiling}} – 6 species
• Haplotaenium {{small|Bando}} – 4 species
• Heimansia {{small|Coesel}} – 2 species
• Hyalotheca {{small|Ehrenberg ex Ralfs}} – 14 species
• Ichthyocercus {{small|West & G.S.West}} – 6 species
• Ichthyodontum {{small|A.M.Scott & Prescott}} – 1 species
• Mateola {{small|R.Salisbury}} – 1 species
• Micrasterias {{small|C.Agardh ex Ralfs}} – 100 species
• Onychonema {{small|Wallich}} – 1 species
• Oocardium {{small|Nägeli}} – 3 species
• Pachyphorium {{small|Palamar-Mordintseva}} – 1 species
• Phymatodocis {{small|Nordstedt}} – 3 species
• Pleurotaeniopsis {{small|(P.Lundell) Lagerheim}} – 1 species
• Pleurotaenium {{small|Nägeli}} – 89 species
• Prescottiella {{small|C.E.M.Bicudo}} – 1 species
• Pseudomicrasterias {{small|C.B.Araújo, C.E.M.Bicudo, Stastny & Skaloud}} – 2 species
• Sphaerozosma {{small|Corda ex Ralfs}} – 20 species
• Spinocosmarium {{small|Prescott & A.M.Scott}} – 2 species
• Spondylosium {{small|Brébisson ex Kützing}} – 33 species
• Staurastrum {{small|Meyen ex Ralfs}} – 788 species
• Staurodesmus {{small|Teiling}} – 87 species
• Streptonema {{small|Wallich}} – 3 species
• Teilingia {{small|Bourrelly}} – 9 species
• Tetmemorus {{small|Ralfs ex Ralfs}} – 10 species
• Triplastrum {{small|M.O.P.Iyengar & Ramanathan}} – 3 species
• Triploceras {{small|Bailey}} – 3 species
• Vincularia {{small|K.Fuciková & J.Kastovsky}} – 1 species
• Xanthidium {{small|Ehrenberg ex Ralfs}} – 128 species

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Category:Zygnematophyceae families

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